First Gulf Bank, one of the major leading banks in the UAE, has announced the launch of a new destination for sport and leisure in Abu Dhabi. The ‘FGB Arena’ will be a state-of-the art, iconic multi-functional indoor arena, located in Zayed Sports City.

A ‘First of its Kind’ facility in the country, the ‘FGB Arena’ will be home to a range of diverse and regular programmes from sports and music events through to conferences and exhibitions. The facility can accommodate up to 6,000 spectators with modern conference and event management facilities. This new ‘social hub’ for Abu Dhabi will be managed by a world class operator in co-operation with FGB.

The first event to be held at the ‘FGB Arena’ starts today with the Abu Dhabi Jiu Jitsu Cup. The Jiu-Jitsu World Championships are also planned to be staged at the venue in April 2014, after which the Arena will provide a dedicated training centre for mixed martial arts.

ndre’ Sayegh, FGB’s CEO, said of the agreement: “We are proud to launch the ‘FGB Arena’ which will become a sporting and social centre for the Abu Dhabi community. We want the facility to become a focus for health and wellbeing in the city, as well as a home of world class entertainment and sport. The ‘FGB Arena’ will look to promote various sport and social activities and encourage participation from the entire population – both young and old.”

Sayegh added: “The opening of the ‘FGB Arena’ is part of our long term strategy to remain an active part of the community and actively promote involvement in healthy pursuits and events. It integrates well into our other sponsorship relationships, including Al Ain Football Club and the recent FIFA U17 World Cup. Furthermore it extends our previous commitments to Jiu-Jitsu in Abu Dhabi following our sponsorship earlier in 2013 of the 17th Open Sports Festival. Through the ‘FGB Arena’, we look forward to supporting local events and initiatives as well as bringing world class events to the city as well as supporting local activities.”